Former Manchester City star, Micah Lincoln Richards is expected to remain at Championship side, Aston Villa beyond the close of this month’s transfer window.

The defender was recalled to the match day 18 squad for the recent 2-2 draw with Preston North End and is still part of manager, Steve Bruce’s plans.

The 28-year-old signed a four year contract with Aston Villa after his release by Manchester City on free transfer in the 2015/2016 season and has gone on to be an integral part of the squad in the West Midlands.

The defender has attracted interest from a number of Premiership clubs as reports gathered claim that West Ham United are keen on signing Richards this summer, while Hull City and Sunderland, managed thenby Sam Allardyce, were also interested.

Richards has also had offers from a number of foreign clubs to consider but decided to stay at Villa Park despite not featuring too often under ex-boss, Roberto Di Matteo. Continue Reading

Brussels, venue for the Euro 2020 might have a stadium less available for the competition as Belgium top football officials claim a planned new stadium might not be ready in time.

There are political issues involved with the planned 60,000 capacity Eurostadium project.

A FIFA Council member Michel D’Hooghe says: “If they want to build it they have to start building very soon, and there I have severe doubts.”

Thirteen cities are to host the tournament across the continent and UEFA chose Brussels in 2014. UEFA has another city in mind for the tournament as problems hamper the planning, D’Hooghe added.

City and regional lawmakers’ disputes made Brussels club Anderlecht cancel plans of using the new stadium. The 50,000 capacity King Baudouin stadium lacks the required facilities for the competition of that magnitude.

Unlike previous occasions – France hosted the 2016 event, and Ukraine and Poland were the co-hosts in 2012 – 13 cities would host the Euro 2020 tournament in an unprecedented move. Continue Reading

The player has been underrated for long, despite his exploits. This term he seems to have gotten a fair share of his time in the spotlight. The player started at Slovan Bratislava before he transferred to Italy at 17 years. He joined Brescia in 2004, starting from the Under 19 squad.

Hamsik played his first Serie A match in 2005, still aged 17. He is the third player from Slovakia to appear in Italy’s top-flight division. The team was relegated that season but it did not in any way limit Hamsik’s display. He made the headlines when he scored in the Coppa Italia against AC Milan. In the 2006/07 season, he netted ten times in 40 games. Napoli dropped €5.5 million for the youngster then to move him from the Serie B back to the top flight.

Hamsik made his debut for Napoli in August 2007, but he scored in the 2-0 rout of Sampdoria a month later. The talented player became the best young player in the league in 2009, beating Mario Balotelli and Sebastian Giovinco to the award. Continue Reading

Greece has suspended all national league and local cup tournaments after an arson attack on refereeing chief Giorgos Bikas.

The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) made the announcement on Wednesday following the arson attack early on Wednesday in Halkidiki, northern Greece.

Bikas is reportedly safe and his family as they were away from the burnt property.

“Following an extraordinary meeting, the EPO announces its decision for the suspension of all national football championships until the conclusion of the investigation into the causes of the fire by the fire services.

“The EPO expresses its full compassion to Mr Giorgos Bikas, whom we will support in every way possible,” the EPO said in a statement following the incident.

The incident comes after Giorgos Tsachilidis was threatened by two men leading to the resignation of all three members that constituted the refereeing committee (KED). The football season was moved forward by two weeks following dispute between the Greek government, the EPO, and top Greek clubs. Continue Reading

Heimir Hallgrimsson reckons Iceland’s Euro 2016 Squad Players are already Legend whoever was a part of the Icelandic Euro 2016 squad has gained the status of a legend already and would not be forgotten by any Icelander ever.

Iceland had had the services of two coaches in Euro out of which one was Hallgrimsson and the other was Lars Lagerback.

But, Lagerback, post the tournament, took up an advisory role offered by his home association, which is Sweden, leaving Hallgrimsson to take over as the head coach in the Icelandic set up.

According to Hallgrimsson, <a href=”http://www.manutdbrunei.com”>soccer is not going to remain only a game in his nation</a> from here on, but, it is going to get much bigger than that.

Speaking after landing on the home soil, Hallgrimsson said, “The Icelanders would be talking about these boys forever like the Englishmen talk about their heroes of 1966. It’s huge. It has increased our stature as a nation.”

“The welcome we had is hard to describe. I would say, rather than asking me, you should see the pictures because they show everything. I mean there are memories which are always fresh in your head and it’s going to be of those memories for me; that’s for certain.” Continue Reading

Head coach of the English men national team, Roy Hodgson, will now name his Euro 2016 final 23-man squad next week.

The coach had earlier opted to reveal this on Thursday, May 12th 2016. The coach opted to he could make a better assessment of players’ fitness after the final round of Premier League fixtures, even though the official deadline for the Football Association to submit its squad to UEFA before the tournament is 31 May.

England have warm-up games against Turkey, Australia and Portugal before the finals, which are being played in France between 10 June and 10 July. Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck is expected to be ruled out with an injury to his right knee suffered in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City. The Gunners forward was one of the players almost certain of making the final squad, even ahead of his club mate, Theo Walcott.

Scans and tests have revealed Welbeck has suffered serious cartilage damage and could be out until February 2017. The key performer in England’s qualifying campaign just returned this February from an injury to his other knee which he’d sustained in May 2015.

Also fellow Arsenal player, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is already missing the tournament. The 22-year-old has not featured for the Gunners since their Champions League defeat to Barcelona at the Emirates in February, when he suffered a knee injury. His latest setback is a fresh injury, Continue Reading